prosperous age

Since Li Chengliang took over as the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, he has been fighting back and forth between the Mongols and the Jurchens. Although he has accumulated some military exploits, he will still get tired after all.

The purpose of moving Kuandian Liubao was to hold back the Jurchens, and to concentrate military power to severely inflict heavy damage on the Tuman tribe on the border.

However, Tan Lun also knew that Wei Guangde's goal was not Mongolia, but more serious damage to the Jurchens.

"Not yet. It's close to the Jianzhou Jurchen Ministry. Governor Zhang must be more careful when traveling."

Tan Lun replied.

"Since the Chenghua Dynasty used troops against the Jurchens, after these years, it has begun to threaten our Ming border towns. We have to be on guard. After severely damaging the Jurchen tribe in Kuandian, I plan to copy the Chenghua Liting court again and cut off the strength of the Jurchen tribes on a large scale. , so that they will be unable to invade the border for at least a hundred years."

Wei Guangde revealed his true plan this time.

During the previous discussion, he only said that he would defeat Gaobu, the Jurchen king of Jianzhou, and pay the price for invading the Ming border over the years.

But this time, the conspiracy with Tan Lun was to directly tell the effect of copying Hualiting.

Tan Lun was a little hesitant after hearing Wei Guangde's plan, but finally couldn't bear to say: "Shandai, do you know the tragic situation of Chenghua Liting?"

"Damage its nest and destroy its species."

Wei Guangde said casually.

Tan Lun was silent when he heard this. He couldn't refute this, because this was the order given by Ming Xianzong Zhu Jianshen.

According to official records at the time, this battle "killed the strong and captured all the young. If the earth collapsed and the fire was extinguished, if the earth collapsed and the fire was extinguished, if it disintegrated and the ice disappeared, the hiding place was empty and the pig was in the house, the hole was blocked but the nest was empty, and in ten days Within, the captive territory is depressed."

"In that case, I will give Li Chengliang a message and ask him to mobilize the best troops and generals of the Liaodong Army for this battle to complete the victory in one battle."

Knowing Wei Guangde's plan, Tan Lun had to consider the military aspect, so he naturally had to make early plans.

The Ministry of War not only ordered the mobilization of elites from Liaodong for this battle, but also had to prepare sufficient war supplies.

“This battle will not only weaken the power of the Jurchens, but also eliminate the important surnames of various Jurchen tribes.

They have always been the leaders of the Jurchen tribe. If these so-called chiefs can be completely eliminated in one battle, the remaining Jurchen tribes will compete with each other for the position of leader, which will be enough for them to cause chaos for a while.

After their internal friction is over and their ranks are eliminated, their remaining power will also be greatly damaged, which is beneficial to our Ming Dynasty. "

It was impossible for Wei Guangde to say that he wanted to kill Nurhaci's ancestors. Even if he knew that the Manchu royal family's surname was Aixinjueluo, it was impossible for him to outright want to completely excise them.

But what Wei Guangde didn't know was that even if he asked Li Chengliang to eliminate the Aixinjueluo family by name, Li Chengliang would not be able to accomplish it, because the surname "Aixinjueluo" did not exist in Liaodong at this time.

The royal family of the Qing Dynasty had the surname Aixinjueluo, in which "Aixin" means "gold" in Manchu. As a surname, Jueluo originated three miles outside the east gate of the old city of Ninggu Pagoda.

The Aixinjueluo sect should have been born with the surname Jueluo. According to scholars' research, Jueluo was the Jiagu or Jiawen family of the Jin Dynasty. When Nurhaci founded the country, Aixin was added to the surname Jueluo to show his nobility. Hence the official name.

The addition of the meaning of "gold" in it also shows that Nurhachi was influenced by the Mongolian "Golden Family" and wanted to establish a family similar to the Golden Family.

So at this moment, Nurhachi's ancestors only have the Jueluo family name, and the Jueluo family name is also a common surname among the Jurchen tribe.

In addition to Aixinjueluo, the surname Jueluo also has branches such as Ergenjueluo, Shushujueluo, and Tongyanjueluo, all of which originate from the same ancestor.

At this time, the Aixinjueluo family was only a small family, including the sixth ancestor of Aixinjueluo Nurhachi and their 22 sons.

"Of course we need to cut off the traitor chiefs. I will write a letter to Li Chengliang and explain the matter in detail. But will the DPRK object to launching a war against the Jurchen tribe at this time?"

Tan Lun was not surprised by Wei Guangde's request.

During the war, the emphasis was on capturing thieves and kings, and cutting off the Jurchen tribe's chief family would indeed cause the Jurchens to fall into civil strife for a long time after the war, which was good for the Ming Dynasty.

However, Tan Lun was worried about whether the court, especially the Ministry of Revenue, would object to the Ministry of War's preparations for such a war.

"This battle will happen as early as next year."

Wei Guangde thought about it and said: "At that time, I will ask for an increase in the amount of grain transported by sea next year. The grain ships will go directly to Gaizhou. As military supplies for this war, the Ministry of War must make early plans for how many troops to mobilize and how much grain and grass need to be stored.

In addition, the military rewards for this battle were transported directly from the south of the Yangtze River and were not sent to the household department in the capital. "

At this time, Wei Guangde had already begun to consider the military operation in Liaodong next year and asked the Ministry of War to start preparations for this.

"As for the opposition from the cabinet, Ministry of Revenue, and others that you are worried about, I will find a way to convince them."

Wei Guangde laughed at this time and said, "I don't believe it. The Jurchen tribe has repeatedly invaded Liaodong border towns and killed Ming generals. Could it be that the DPRK really has no complaints and does not want to retaliate.

Who dares to object, I will mobilize the public to impeach him and make him unable to hold the position of official. "

"But if it's from the Chief Assistant's side"

Tan Lun said hesitantly.

Now Tan Lun was more or less aware of the relationship between Wei Guangde and Zhang Juzheng, and he was worried that Zhang Juzheng would object.

"Uncle Da will not object. He wants to govern internally and reform the shortcomings of the government. At this time, he needs a peaceful external environment.

When I supported the Datong peace treaty promoted by Gao Gong, even if some of the terms were unfavorable to our Ming Dynasty, I chose to accept it as proof.

The grassland is too big, and the Ming army is unable to carry out an in-depth encirclement and suppression, so it can only adopt a policy of appeasement. But for the strength of a small tribe like the Jurchens, our Ming Dynasty does not need to do this. It only needs to be wiped out in one fell swoop.

Once the border was peaceful, he could free himself to carry out internal reforms. "

Wei Guangde felt that Zhang Juzheng would not object to this matter. In fact, the biggest obstacle was that the court was in financial difficulties and might not be able to support such a war.

However, Wei Guangde doesn't think that the Ming Dynasty can't even come up with this small amount of financial resources. After all, it is a small tribe, and it is not the Mongols who control tens of thousands of strings.

The Ming Dynasty used tens of thousands of troops against the Jurchens, which was enough to drive the Jurchens deep into the Changbai Mountains to hide.

Although there are tens of thousands of Jurchens, they are divided into multiple tribes after all. As long as they are defeated individually, ten thousand people are actually enough.

The main purpose of mobilizing more troops is to plow the ground cleanly and prevent any fish from slipping through the net.

After Tan Lun nodded slightly, he accidentally saw the battle report in Wei Guangde's hand. Then he remembered the purpose of his visit and said hurriedly: "I came here because of Ji Zhen's affairs. Why did I say I went to Liaodong?"

"It's okay. With Qi Jiguang here in Ji Town, you and I should sit back and relax."

Wei Guangde also realized that the topic had gone too far.

"Leave the battle report here with me for now. I'll hand it over to the first assistant to check the room later. I want Dong Changtu to stay in Jizhen first and see Dong Fox's reaction. It would be best if Duoyan is willing to surrender.

The war in Jizhen can be resolved. This time the troops were used against Liaodong, so Qi Jiguang sent an army to assist in the battle.

I heard that he trained two more troops this year and sent them over. It was enough to keep two troops in Ji Town. "

Wei Guangde arranged.

"Ji Zhen's army is going to Liaodong?"

Tan Lun frowned when he heard Wei Guangde's instructions. He had served as the governor of Jiliao, and he was more or less aware of some of the bad things going on between Jizhen and Liaodong.

It seems like a good thing for Jizhen to send troops to help in the battle, but Liaodong may not see it that way. Although Liaodong did not yet have the momentum of military separatism in the late Ming Dynasty at this time, in fact, at this time, there were more or less signs of xenophobia.

After all, the Liaodong Army only has so many official positions. They still like to use members of the local military generals and families in Liaodong, and do not like soldiers from other towns coming to take their positions.

Of course, they don't dare to go too far now. After all, the Ming Dynasty is still at its peak and there are no signs of its demise.

At least, after Ada Khan became Queen of Shunyi, the Ming Dynasty had no powerful enemies on the surface. Naturally, no one would have thought that the Ming Dynasty would perish and change dynasties in a few decades.

If Wei Guangde didn't have common sense about later generations' history, he wouldn't think so.

Seeing Tan Lun's troubled expression, Wei Guangde asked: "Why, is this matter difficult?"

"If you transfer Ji Town soldiers and horses to Liaodong, will it be suspected of stealing credit?"

Tan Lun reminded appropriately.

"Stealing credit?"

Wei Guangde frowned when he heard this. He somewhat understood the meaning of Tan Lun's words, so he asked: "Are you saying that the Jizhen Army and the Liaodong Army are at odds?"

"The inner part of Shanhaiguan belongs to Jizhen, and the outer part of Shanhaiguan belongs to Liaodong. They are both the throats of the western Liaoning Corridor."

Tan Lun still stuck to the point, but Wei Guangde was able to understand the meaning.

The Liaoxi Corridor is a cornucopia. The connection between Liaodong and the Ming Dynasty depends entirely on it. The generals on both sides must be dispatched.

When Wei Guangde contacted Liaodong merchants, it was not because the merchants wanted to avoid this corridor and conduct trade directly by sea.

It can be seen that this road is not only dangerous, but also the appetite of the generals in the two towns of the Ming Dynasty is not small.

Moreover, with this news, Wei Guangde could somewhat understand why at the end of the Ming Dynasty, when the defeat of the Liaodong Ming Army was certain, he still insisted not to enter Shanhaiguan.

After entering Shanhaiguan, that is the scope of Ji Town, so naturally you have to obey the orders of Ji Town General Military Mansion.

Even if the late Ming Dynasty was special and Shanhaiguan became the last station of the Liaodong Army, it was because Jizhen did not want to face Hou Jin directly, so it gave this place to the Liaodong Army, which was more or less a buffer.

"Who recommended Li Chengliang in the first place?"

Wei Guangde did not ask about the bad fight between the two armies, but asked about Li Chengliang.

"Li Chengliang was discovered and commissioned by Li Fu, the governor of Liaodong in the late Jiajing period, and he became the garrison of the Dangerous Mountain Fort. He was promoted to the chief military officer of Liaodong in the fourth year of Longqing. At that time, you happened to return to your hometown Dingyou.

I heard that his promotion was the result of Zhang Juzheng's proposal and Gao Gong's approval.

At that time, the war in Liaodong was tragic. Yang Zhao was attacked and killed in the 42nd year of Jiajing. In the fourth year of Longqing, the bandits invaded Jinzhou. The commander-in-chief Wang Zhidao died in battle. Several generals died in a short period of time. The situation on the border was very critical.

Li Chengliang was appointed as the commander-in-chief of Liaodong after the death of Wang Zhidao in battle. He was appointed as the governor of Liaodong and became the commander-in-chief of Liaodong. "

Tan Lun was in the court at that time, so he naturally knew all the treasures of the Liaodong Army generals.

Wei Guangde nodded while listening. It should be said that appointing Li Chengliang was definitely the right thing. He had also heard of this person's name in later generations. He was regarded as an important general in the Ming Dynasty who stabilized Liaodong.

“In the fifth year of Longqing’s reign, the Tubarbarians gathered the Mongolian Jurchen tribes and entered the fortress in large numbers. Zhang Xueyan, the governor of Liaodong, and Li Chengliang respectively led their armies to fight.

Li Chengliang and the Tuman tribe met in Zhuoshan and defeated more than 10,000 Tuman people. Taking advantage of the victory, they pursued and reached the Tuman lair. They beheaded two Tuman ministers and more than 500 people.

In October of the sixth year of Longqing, six hundred Tuman cavalry gathered in Beihe, Liaoyang, and Li Chengliang drove them away.

This year Li Chengliang broke through the barbarians in the western forts of Tieling Town. During this period, Duoyan Ulushihan destroyed the border wall and invaded with 4,000 cavalry, but was also defeated by Li Chengliang.

In recent years, Li Chengliang has made great contributions to the settlement of Liaodong. "

After listening to Tan Lun's story, Wei Guangde had an opinion about Li Chengliang, that is, he was great at fighting.

As for the rest, Wei Guangde didn't think much about it. As long as the general could win the battle, he didn't need to worry about anything else.

In the position of the cabinet, Wei Guangde is already someone who only cares about the results and not the process. As long as he can do things, he should naturally be promoted to a higher position. As for Zhang Juzheng's promotion, it doesn't matter.

"Can a person like him not be able to suppress the Liaodong general?"

Wei Guangde nodded and couldn't help but ask.

"Shandai, it's not like you don't know that most of the generals in the border towns of our Ming Dynasty are the generals' sons, and they are very responsible in this relationship.

Those people may not be as good as Li Chengliang in fighting, but together they are quite powerful.

As for Li Chengliang's ability to stabilize Liaodong, it is fair to say that he recruited thousands of servants when he was a general in Xianshan Fort. It was because of this army that he was able to conquer all parts of Liaodong with overwhelming force and invincibility. "

Tan Lun explained.

"Does the Liaodong Army rely on private soldiers to fight the war?"

Wei Guangde was a little surprised and asked hurriedly.

Wei Guangde knew that military generals maintained private soldiers, and they always served as servants beside the generals, taking on duties such as guarding and delivering messages. Sometimes they also took on the role of vanguard of the entire army.

However, at the Jiangnan Guards Station, the number of generals' servants was not large, and neither the Jiujiang Guards, whom Wei Guangde was familiar with, nor the troops led by Ma Fang, Yu Dayou, or Qi Jiguang, had trained private soldiers on a large scale.

The elite soldiers from the Ming Dynasty guard and battalions were selected for training and used as soldiers on the battlefield.

It would be strange not to be surprised when I first heard that Li Chengliang actually had a private army of thousands of servants.

In his opinion, it was acceptable for a general to have dozens or hundreds of people around him, just as a guard force, but Li Chengliang had thousands of people.

"The general situation is such that the imperial court has no choice but to let it go."

Tan Lun understood what Wei Guangde was worried about, but even though he was the Minister of War, he couldn't actually do much.

After all, it was not Li Chengliang who started raising generals to support their families. It dates back to the Zhengtong period.

Zheng Dechao wanted to change it back, but failed.

After that, they can only let it go, no one is willing to offend this group of powerful Qiu Ba.

During the Jiajing period, records about Jia Ding's battles began to increase. Jia Ding was recorded in history books for his bravery in battle. Even the Ming Dynasty praised him for "surprisingly winning, and winning the soldiers to death. How can the ancient famous generals be added to the list?"

"After this war, Li Chengliang wants to change places and can no longer stay in Liaodong."

At this time, Wei Guangde stopped talking about the servant and told Tan Lun.

"There are thousands of servants, and the monthly military salary is at least a thousand taels of silver. Where does the money come from?

If people are not transferred out of Liaodong in time, it will be unclear what the surname will be there in the future. "

Seeing Tan Lun in a daze, Wei Guangde explained. (End of chapter)